Friends Of The Stockton & Darlington Railway

The ‘HIGHLAND RAILWAY – The Line & Stations that opened from 1855 to 1863’
2023-05-24 08:00 - 17:00 (Europe/London) | Sunday School Building, Locomotion Museum, Soho Street, Shildon, DL4 1PG, Sunday School Building, Soho Street, Shildon, DL4 1PG
The ‘HIGHLAND RAILWAY – The Line & Stations that opened from 1855 to 1863’ by KEN HODGSON
A long time Member of the FNRM, Ken is a fantastic photographer and speaker.
Saturday 27th May 2023 in the SUNDAY SCHOOL BUILDING at LOCOMOTION, SHILDON, DL4 1PG. (See location on a map)
Doors open 10am for 10.30 am

Entrance is free and tea & coffee will be available.

Walking the Line - Preston Park
2023-07-14 10:40 - 14:30 | Preston Park, Yarm Road, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 3RH

Visit to Tanfield Railway
2023-08-17 10:30 - 17:00 | Tanfield Railway, DH9 9UY
17 August (Thursday) – Visit to Tanfield Railway.
Arrive 10.30am at Andrews House car park.
Tour of yard area, shed, workshops, etc. (toilets available in carriage shed)
Buffet lunch in Andrews House Station (toilets available)
Guided walk along the track from Andrews House to Causey.
See waggonway interpretation site and Causey Arch.
Continue to East Tanfield Station and on the way see site of Engine house archaeological dig.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanfield_Railway
The wearing of stout footwear is advisable and clothes you don’t mind getting dirty.
Anyone who does not want to walk can see inside the signal box and have extra time at Marley Hill.
For those attending I suggest we make a donation towards the cost of the buffet – Tanfield Railway is a registered charity.
This event is being organised for the Friends by Angela Pickering who is the “Bright Spark” at Tanfield Railway.

Visit to the National Railway Museum, York
2023-08-29 11:00 - 17:00 | National Railway Museum, York
29 August (Tuesday) – Visit to the National Railway Museum, York – guided tour around parts of the extensive archive department.
Arrive 11.00 am at the NRM – location to be decided, will send final information for those who are on the visit. You will make your own way to the museum.
Group size 10 maximum, anyone who has been previously cannot be included.

Shildon Circular Railway Guided Walk
2023-09-09 10:00 - 13:00 | Locomotion, Shildon, Dale Road, Shildon, DL4 2RE, United Kingdom
Discover Shildon’s historic place in the industrial revolution with this circular walk between the key sites in the world’s first railway town though the story of the Stockton & Darlington Railway and Timothy Hackworth.
This circular walk will take around 3-4 hours to complete at a gentle pace. We will start outside the collection building at Locomotion at 10am and begin our walk through the museum site discovering the history of the surviving buildings. The walk will take the route of one of the original rope hauled branch lines serving Black Boy quarry, taking in the Shildon Tunnel and then taking a return route through town via an original coach station. The tour will then look at how the railway shaped the lives of the people who worked on it and the town of Shildon.
Comfortable walking shoes are required. We will meet outside the front of the Locomotion collection building at 10am. Museum is signed from main road.
Email Jonathan Ratcliffe at jonathan.a.ratcliffe@gmail.com with the name of the attendees, a contact number and email address to book your place.

198th Anniversary event at Locomotion Shildon
2023-09-23 10:00 - 2023-09-24 16:00 | Locomotion, Shildon, Dale Road, Shildon, DL4 2RE, United Kingdom
The Friends of the S&DR is celebrating the 198th Anniversary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway over the weekend of 23rd and 24th September at Locomotion, Shildon, Co Durham DL4 2RE from 10am to 4pm each day.
The Friends and its associated groups will have stalls together with heritage displays and there will be other exciting events (See Locomotion’s Website).
We are pleased to announce that there will be talk on Sat 23rd Sept. at 11am –
TIMOTHY HACKWORTH, the man who engineered a future for the Locomotive by Prof Mike Norman.
Please note that the talk will take place in the Sunday School Building at the historic end of Locomotion’s site (the Sunday School is situated on the corner of Soho Street and Station Street, Shildon, Co Durham DL4 1PQ). The talk is free and commences at 11am with doors open at 10.30am
‘The delivery of power to the steam locomotive was the key to its adoption and success. What ends with the engineering accomplishments of Sir Nigel Gresley started with the engineering achievements of Timothy Hackworth. His story includes the missed opportunity of Hackworth’s most powerful design, the markers he laid down for the Stockton and Darlington Railway before they were taken up and used by others and his unique contribution to the works at Shildon’.
MIKE NORMAN:
Mike’s background in IT was at the forefront of the technology of the Information Revolution & he now draws on that experience in defining the pioneering key developments of the Steam Locomotive. He is the author of ‘It Wasn’t Rocket Science’-a biography of the life and times of Timothy Hackworth which, set during preparations for the 1893 Chicago Exposition, is told through the eyes of a grandson.
PLEASE BOOK A PLACE – Please go on Locomotion’s Website into Events where you can book a place for the talk at this page or email the Secretary of the Friends: Jonathan.ratcliffe@sdr1825.org.uk who can place the booking for you.

198th anniversary Garden Party (members only)
2023-09-27 10:00 - 14:00 | Stationmaster’s House, West Auckland, DL14 9EX, United Kingdom
At 12:12pm on the 27th September there will be a celebratory garden party at Station House, Station Road, St Helen Auckland, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 9EX with a short walk along the line to Hummerbeck bridge. Please email John Raw (jraw2883@aol.com) if you’re intending to attend for catering purposes.

Friends' AGM 2023
2023-10-28 | Georgian Theatre, Stockton, Green Dragon Yard,, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 1AT
The date for our AGM this year will be Saturday 28th of October and will be held at the Georgian Theatre in Stockton. Details still to be announced.

Limestone Quarry, East Thickley and Locomotion Shed 2
2023-11-04 11:00 - 14:00 | Locomotion, Shildon, Dale Road, Shildon, DL4 2RE, United Kingdom
Details yet to be announced. Watch this space!

December Meeting & Christmas Social
2023-12-07 19:00 - 21:00 | The Railway Tavern, Darlington, High Northgate, Darlington, DL1 1UN, United Kingdom
We’ve reached the final meeting of the year and as is tradition, we will be holding a shortened December meeting at the Railway Tavern, High Northgate, Darlington followed by a bring and share buffet. There will also be book stalls and Caroline will be bringing a selection of fantastic Railway Station giftware, so you can buy S&DR themed presents for Christmas!
Please bring along a contribution of finger food for the buffet (there is no cutlery etc. at the tavern so please make sure that all food can be eaten with fingers!) Christmas jumpers, Santa hats etc. are optional but highly encouraged. Good cheer is essential.
Members can find the papers in the members area, non-members are welcome to come along and see what we do although will have no vote on agenda items. You can sign up for membership on the night.
The agenda is available to download here: 2023-12-07 FSDR Meeting Agenda

Talk: The History of the Stockton & Darlington Railway
2024-01-24 18:00 - 20:30 | Friends Meeting House Darlington, 6 Skinnergate, Darlington, DL3 7NB
The North East Region of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers is pleased to present a talk on the History of The Stockton and Darlington Railway by Caroline Hardie.
The presentation will be in the Elm Meeting room of the Darlington Friends Meeting House, 6 Skinnergate, Darlington DL3 7NB, at 6pm on Wednesday January 24th 2024.
Attendance is free and Members and non-members of the IMechE are welcome to attend – so Friends of the S&DR can attend.
Please register using the link below at The Stockton & Darlington Railway – The Railway that got the World on Track (imeche.org) as numbers are limited.
https://nearyou.imeche.org/…/North-Eastern/event-detail…

February 2024 Members Meeting
2024-02-01 19:00 - 21:00 | Darlington Cricket Club, THE CLUB HOUSE Feethams South Terrace, Darlington, DL1 5JD, United Kingdom
Our February 2024 Members Meeting will be held at Darlington Cricket Club. Non-members are welcome to attend but will not be able to vote on items.
Papers will be sent to members and published here the Monday before the meeting.

G5 Open Day
2024-03-02 11:00 - 15:00 | g5 Locomotive Ltd., Unit 8S, Hackworth Industrial Park, Shildon, DL4 1HF
Enjoy a tour of the G5 locomotive works followed by a social drink.
Contact John Raw for more information
jraw2883@aol.com

March 2024 Member's Meeting
2024-03-07 19:00 - 21:00 | Darlington Cricket Club, THE CLUB HOUSE Feethams South Terrace, Darlington, DL1 5JD, United Kingdom
Our March 2024 Members Meeting will be held at Darlington Cricket Club. Non-members are welcome to attend but will not be able to vote on items.
Papers will be sent to members and published here the Monday before the meeting.

How the Railways Came to Heighington
2024-03-09 14:00 - 16:30 | St Michaels Church, Heighington, DL5 6PN, Church View, Heighington, DL5 6PP, United Kingdom
St Michael’s Church, Heighington will be holding a history day on Saturday 9th March 2pm to 4:30pm.
There will be talks on Heighington’s contribution to the rich history of the S&DR, Book Stalls, Railway Gift Shop and Static Displays.
Tickets £5 (under 16s free entry) from Margaret 07970 600631 or can be bought online here: https://bit.ly/48ePT1l

Etherley Railway Walk
2024-03-15 10:30 - 12:30 | Etherley Incline
Join us for a gentle walk up the Etherley Incline, this short walk of approximately 2.2 miles meets at the former Methodist Chapel in Phoenix Row.
To book a place contact jraw2883@aol.com

April 2024 Member's Meeting
2024-04-04 19:00 - 21:00 | Darlington Cricket Club, THE CLUB HOUSE Feethams South Terrace, Darlington, DL1 5JD, United Kingdom
Our April 2024 Members Meeting will be held at Darlington Cricket Club. Non-members are welcome to attend but will not be able to vote on items.
Papers will be sent to members and published here the Monday before the meeting.

May 2024 Members Meeting
2024-05-02 19:00 - 21:00 | Darlington Cricket Club, THE CLUB HOUSE Feethams South Terrace, Darlington, DL1 5JD, United Kingdom
Our May 2024 Members Meeting will be held at Darlington Cricket Club. Non-members are welcome to attend but will not be able to vote on items.
Papers will be sent to members and published here the Monday before the meeting.

Walking the Line – Shildon to Heighington 11th May 2024*
2024-05-11 10:30 - 13:30 | Shildon Station
Continuing our programme to revise and update our self-guided walks booklets before 2025, our next Walking the Line event will be on the 11th May.
The purpose of this walk (apart from fresh air and exercise) is to check the content of the old walks booklet and see what content needs updating before the redesign. We will also be looking for better photographs, so feel free to take pictures on the day.
You can download a copy of the old walk booklet here:
https://sdr1825.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/SDR-Booklet-4-Shildon-to-Heighington-2017-08-31.pdf
We will be doing this walk backwards from the route in the walk booklet.
The itinerary for the day is as follows but feel free to adapt the beginning to suit your own location:

Meet at Shildon Station to catch the 10.32 to Heighington. (Allow time to buy your ticket on the platform £3.30)
Alight at Heighington at 10.40 and cross the level crossing to Heighington Station, the former Locomotion No.1 pub. We’ll have a chat about the Save Heighington Station Campaign and the significance of the building. If you live nearer Heighington, feel free to join us there and hope that some kind person will give you a lift back from Shildon at the end of the walk.
We’ll head northwards back towards Newton Aycliffe and Shildon – some of this will be along the newly created S&DR path at Preston Road.
We will finish at Locomotion having looked at the Locomotive refuelling drops, Kilburn’s Warehouse (Soho Shed), the Goods Shed and Hackworth’s House.

This is a relatively level walk along tarmacked surfaces (mostly). It will take at least two hours largely due to interesting stops along the way. Allow for more.
Dogs are welcome, but please note that Locomotion in Shildon does not permit dogs inside, not even to the café. There is a lot of broken glass on the ground behind the Heighington Station.
If you plan to join us on this walk, please send your name, email address and mobile phone number before the 11th to caroline@aenvironment.co.uk and also say if you are joining us at Shildon Station or at Heighington Station. Your contact details are required so we can get in touch on the day if plans unexpectedly change.
The updating and redesign of this booklet has been made possible by sponsorship from Husqvarna who have premises on Preston Road.
Caroline Hardie. M: 07773 195686. E: caroline@aenvironment.co.uk

* It’s National Train Day!

Heighington Station Goods Yard Clean Up
2024-05-25 10:00 - 13:00 | Heighington Station
25th May – gather together to give the goods yard a clean and make it safer to visit.

June 2024 Member's Meeting
2024-06-06 19:00 - 21:00 | Darlington Cricket Club, THE CLUB HOUSE Feethams South Terrace, Darlington, DL1 5JD, United Kingdom
Our June 2024 Members Meeting will be held at Darlington Cricket Club on Thursday 6th June. Non-members are welcome to attend but will not be able to vote on items.
Papers for the meeting are available to download below:
2024 – June Meeting Chair’s Activity Report
2024-05-02 Minutes Draft – Copy
2024-06-06 FSDR Meeting Agenda
Additional information for Item 8
BIG EIWPC Checklist for walk leaders (Item 8)
Editor & webmaster June 2024
May Meeting Combined Papers
Planning Report 24.06.06
Membership Report 31.05.2024
MSG Stockton and Darlington Railway BiCentenary Organisation Group 09.05.2024 – Minutes for the Friends.doc
H&S Risk Assessment FoS&DR 6th June 24 – Guided Walks

Guided Walks along the S&DR in Stockton
2024-06-29 10:15 - 17:00
Join us for a guided walk along the historic Stockton and Darlington Railway on Saturday 29th June 2024
Walk A – from Allen’s West Station to Preston Park
Meet on station platform at 10.15 am
The trains from Darlington arrive at 09.35 and 10.08.
The trains from Thornaby arrive at 09.38 and 10.01.
Walk B – from Preston Park to Allen’s West Station
Meet at Eaglescliffe Station at 1.00 pm
The trains from Darlington arrive at 12.37 and 13.10.
The trains from Thornaby arrive 12.37 and 12.59.
For further Information and to book a place please contact
Peter Bainbridge – membership.sdr1825@virginmedia.com
01642 868877/07941 446663
Please supply mobile phone number together with ICE (In Case of Emergency) contact name and phone number.
A limited number of spaces are available and so booking is required.
Dogs are not allowed.

Circular Walk around Shildon
2024-07-04 10:20 - 13:00 | Locomotion, Shildon, Dale Road, Shildon, DL4 2RE, United Kingdom
Walking into local history
The Railway that got the World on Track
An invitation to take an easy, circular walk around the very first Railway town in the World, Shildon.
Thursday 4th July meet at LOCOMOTION car park 10.20
If you’d like to come please contact jraw2883@aol.com
Approximate distance 3.2 miles.

July 2024 Member's Meeting
2024-07-04 19:00 - 21:00 | Darlington Cricket Club, THE CLUB HOUSE Feethams South Terrace, Darlington, DL1 5JD, United Kingdom
Our July 2024 Members Meeting will be held at Darlington Cricket Club. Non-members are welcome to attend but will not be able to vote on items.
Please find the papers for the meeting below:

2024-07-04 Agenda
2024 – July Meeting Chair’s Activity Report
2024-06-06 Minutes Draft
Merged reports June 24 to accompany minutes
2025 Report for the Friends Mtg 04.07.24
DIG Report
Editor & webmaster July 2024
EIWPC WASH BIG Report
Membership Report 30.06.2024
Railway Fest Mtg Dolphin 250624
Planning Report 24.07.04

September 2024 Member's Meeting
2024-09-05 19:00 - 21:00 | Darlington Cricket Club, THE CLUB HOUSE Feethams South Terrace, Darlington, DL1 5JD, United Kingdom
Our September 2024 Members Meeting will be held at Darlington Cricket Club. Non-members are welcome to attend but will not be able to vote on items.
Papers for the meeting are available to download here:
2024-09-05 FSDR Meeting Agenda
2024-07-04 Minutes FInal
July Merged Meeting Reports
Trustee Reports
2024 – September Meeting Chair’s Activity Report
Editor & webmaster September 2024
Planning Report 24.09.05
Membership Report 31.08.2024
Area Group Reports
DIG Reports
DIG min Aug 2024
Railway skernebirdge condition members mtg Sept 2024
BIG EIWPC WASH
big wig
S&DR – Concept Design Presentation (DCC Condensed)
27thSept_Poster

Book Launch 27th September at Locomotion
2024-09-15 08:00 - 17:00
On behalf of Husqvarna and the Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, we have pleasure in inviting you to the formal launch of our walk booklet covering Shildon to Heighington on the 27th September from 4.00pm until 6.30pm at Locomotion’s main hall in Shildon. There will be drinks and celebration cake and an opportunity to network, catch up with the latest news from the Friends and an amble amongst the collections. I do hope you will find time to attend on this busy day; the 199th anniversary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway.
For the purposes of catering, please let me know if you plan to attend at caroline@aenvironment.co.uk before the 18th September. If you miss this admittedly short deadline, let me know anyway and we will be pleased to make some adjustments to accommodate you.
Our walk booklets were first published in 2016, but are now being redesigned and updated in preparation for 2025. We have always seen these as an important part of the heritage led economic regeneration strategy that is the S&DR project, spreading the economic benefits of visitors to the area beyond the honeypot sites of Locomotion and Hopetown. They are an important part of the offer for 2025 and beyond and encourage people to get out and about by foot and by train and can be used to link to other heritage interest sites in the wider area such as the Auckland Project. So far, we have updated the books covering West Auckland to Shildon, The Shildon Circular and now this stretch between Shildon and Heighington. We will soon turn our attention to Darlington. Of course, the timetable is largely dictated by the progress of the new S&DR Discovery Trail.
This event is for members of the Friends of the S&DR only and our partners.
We are looking forward to seeing you.

EIWP Group GARDEN PARTY
2024-09-15 13:00 - 16:00 | Etherley Incline
‘Mary’s Place’
2 Hillside Cottages Low Etherley DL14 0EZ
Sunday 15th September 1pm—4pm
Refreshments plus
Optional walk along Etherley Incline
We welcome everyone to join us for this special occasion
Please contact John to confirm attendance – jraw2883@aol.com

October 2024 Member's Meeting
2024-10-03 19:00 - 21:00 | Darlington Cricket Club, THE CLUB HOUSE Feethams South Terrace, Darlington, DL1 5JD, United Kingdom
Our October 2024 Members Meeting will be held at Darlington Cricket Club. Non-members are welcome to attend but will not be able to vote on items.
Papers for the meeting are available for download below:
2024 – October Meeting Chair’s Activity Report
2024-09-05 Minutes
2024-10-03 FSDR Meeting Agenda
BIG-WASH-EIWPG Report
Editor & webmaster October 2024
Membership Report 26.09.2024
Planning Report 24.10.03
Report Sept24 HAG
SDR200 Research on the Rails competition
MSG Stockton and Darlington Railway Bicentenary Organising Group Report to Friends 03.10.2024

2024 AGM
2024-11-09 09:30 - 13:00 | Darlington Baptist Church, Grange Road, Darlington, DL1 5NH, United Kingdom
Our 2024 AGM will take place at Darlington Baptist Church, Grange Road Darlington on Saturday 9th November 2024. Please book using the link below to let us know how many are coming. (We don’t want to run out of coffee!)
Book Here
The papers for the meeting are below:
2024 AGM Agenda
FSDR Chairs Report 23-24
Membership Report 31.10.2024
Planning Report 24.11.9 AGM
Area Group Reports (Combined)
editor and web 2024
2023 AGM Minutes

Walking the line - Darlington 1st December
2024-12-01 11:00 - 13:30 | Hopetown
Continuing our programme to revise and update our self-guided walks booklets before 2025, our next Walking the Line event will be on the 1st December at 11am. We will meet at the foot of the steps up to the Goods Shed, Hopetown on the corner of McNay Street and North Road. This is immediately adjacent to North Road Station so why not arrive by train?
The purpose of this walk is to check the content of the revised walk book content and the new route before the redesign and printing.
You can download a copy of the working draft here:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/et0xof6b9z881vjejnne2/ADw82P17qr5OCChJ310wMTs?rlkey=[REDACTED]&dl=0
This is an urban walk, not especially long (2.1 miles) but there will be a lot of stops which can be tiring. It will take at least two hours largely due to these interesting stops along the way. Allow for more.
We will end the walk at Hopetown where you can have refreshments and use the loos at the Clocktower Café after we have been around the outside of the buildings. You will be free to spend as much time as you like at Hopetown once we have finished the walk – entrance is free. Please book your own entrance ticket for about 1.15pm. You can do this here: https://tickets.hopetowndarlington.co.uk/#calendar
Dogs are welcome, but please note that while dogs are welcome in the café at Hopetown and throughout the grounds, they cannot go inside the museum or carriage works.
If you plan to join us on this walk, please send your name, email address, mobile phone number and next of kin’s phone number before the 1st December to caroline@aenvironment.co.uk. Your contact details are required so we can get in touch on the day if plans unexpectedly change and your next of kin’s number is in case you get run over trying to cross North Road. And don’t forget to book your entrance into Hopetown for about 1.15pm (I don’t think it will matter too much if we are a little late or early).
The updating and redesign of this booklet has been made possible by sponsorship from Husqvarna and Councillor Sonia Kane.
Caroline Hardie. M: 07773 195686. E: caroline@aenvironment.co.uk
